122 Dave Plunkett: Why You Don't Need More Partners

Hey everyone, today I'm joined by Dave Plunkett.Dave is the founder of Collaboration Junkie, where he helps agencies turn referrals and partnerships into a deliberate system instead of something that just happens to them.He calls himself a referral evangelist, and he built DANCE, a five-part framework covering discovery, assembly, nurturing, connection and engagement. The partnerships half of that framework is now a book, currently with his editor and launching in January.I wanted him on the show because most agencies grow to a certain size on founder-led referrals and then treat that channel as something to graduate out of. Dave's argument is that it's the cheapest, most compounding channel they will ever have, and the work is building a culture that keeps it producing after the founder stops being the one asking.In this episode, we discuss:Why more partners is the wrong fix for weak partner referralsWhy your partner pitch needs its own value proposition, separate from your client oneSituational niching: teaching referrers the trigger words a buyer actually usesAnd more...You can learn more about Dave on LinkedIn. And don't forget to check out Collaboration Junkie.-----------Lead Gen is the hardest part of running an agency.For most, it's unpredictable, it's slow, and it's usually expensive.Gia flips that.It's the all-in-one growth platform that turns your existing relationships and client work into a steady pipeline.Gia automates lead gen follow-up and content, and it's all from the work you're already doing.You can check it out and get some free bonuses at getgia.ai/dynamicagency-----------No one was asking for another community. But I've made one anyway.So what's different?The Dynamic Agency Community is designed around access rather than content.Access to peers who've done it before.Access to experts who've designed solutions.Access to resources that have been battle-tested.And right now, the price for founding members is only $97/year.Join today so your agency has immediate access to everything you need to grow.You can join at dynamicagencyos.com/community.-----------Subscribe to the Agency Forward blog on Substack.We have weekly blog content with practical advice to help you advance your agency.-----------And if you're ready for 1-on-1 help to create some mind-blowing offers for your agency, visit DynamicAgencyOS.com to schedule a free consultation. Running an agency is tough, but you don't need to go it alone.